Thanks to all of you who took supported the Broad Green Community Spring Clean on Easter Monday. Over 30 people took part, and we cleared about 100 bags of litter from the streets of Broad Green. Volunteers from across Croydon joined Broad Green residents, and three local Councillors; Stuart Collins, Stuart King, and Callton Young joined us. A large number of volunteers came from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and they kindly provided us lunch afterwards at their mosque in St James’s Road.

There were a lot of positive comments on social media after the event, and we have created a collage of tweets which is now on our website:

It will take place in Federation Hall, which is behind 17 Elmwood Road, CR0 2SN. In case you have not been there before, below is a photo of the house at 17 Elmwood Road. Please go through the gate, and a second gate to the left of the house. Federation Hall is at the back. Unfortunately there is no permanent signage at the front of the house to reassure you that you have come to the right address.

BGRA members should have received a notification of the AGM through the letterbox, which contains a proposed new constitution. Please try and find the time to have a look at it in advance of the meeting.

We are excited to announce we will have some Guest Speakers at the event to talk about activities and initiatives in Broad Green and surrounding areas you may wish to get involved with. These include:

Janet Clarke from the Big Local Broad Green

Lorraine Podiephatshwa & Jenny Jones – ABCD Community Builders

Catherine Graham – Friends of Wandle Park

Councillor Stuart Collins

Local Residents Sparkle Bulku and Helen Buckland who are both very active in the area.

Please be aware that on a flyer we stated that Councillor Stuart King would be addressing the meeting about the Croydon Air Quality Consultation. Unfortunately due to election purdah rules the Consultation will now not take place until after the General Election, and he will therefore no longer be addressing the AGM.

After the speakers there will be a chance to meet the speakers over cheese and wine.

We are always keen for new people to join the committee, so please consider if you would like to get more involved. Please contact us BGRAchair@gmail.com if you would like more information about the committee.

We have a lot to cover at the AGM, so please try and arrive a little before 8.00pm so we can start on time. We look forward to seeing you on Friday.

Broad Green Police Ward Panel Meeting

If you live in Broad Green ward, you may wish to attend the Broad Green Neighbourhood Policing Team’s public meeting on Thursday 4th May. This meeting is your chance to discuss local community concerns and crime related issues

It will take place at Croydon and District Masonic Hall, 73 Oakfield Road, Croydon, CR0 2UX, and start at 7.00pm. Please see the link below for more information

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking people across Croydon to comment on its draft proposals for new council ward boundaries.

An eight-week public consultation on the recommendations began on 14th March and will end on 8th May 2017. The consultation is open to anyone who wants to have their say on new council wards, ward boundaries and ward names across Croydon.

There are proposed boundary changes for all the local wards, so it is important for everyone to have a look at the proposals and respond with their comments.

Please see the link below for more information, and a link to the site where you can submit your comments.

The Big Lunch is the UK’s largest annual get together for neighbours. In 2016, 7.3 million people took to their streets, gardens and neighbourhoods to join in for a few hours of community, friendship and fun at over 90,000 events. The Big Lunch connects people and encourages friendlier, safer neighbourhoods where people start to share more — from conversations and ideas, to skills and resources.

This year’s Big Lunch will take place over the weekend of 17th and 18th June and will coincide with the anniversary of the tragic death of MP Jo Cox and also Father’s Day.

We would love to see a few events in the Broad Green area. Please let us know if you are arranging a Big Lunch event this year, and if you would like the BGRA to help you promote it.

Please see below a link to the Council website with information and advice on arranging a Big Lunch in Croydon.

We aim to send out an email about once a month, so please let us know if you would like us to include any information about any of your projects and events in future emails. We can also publicise your events on Twitter: @BroadGreenRA